


Frank's Record Shop

by DrBenzedrine



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1980s, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:22:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23123197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrBenzedrine/pseuds/DrBenzedrine
Summary: New York, 1982: Ronald Reagan is president. The Cold War is ongoing. The AIDS crisis has just begun. The internet has just been created. And Frank Iero has just opened the record shop of his dreams.
Relationships: Frank Iero/Gerard Way
Comments: 5
Kudos: 41





	1. Welcome To The Neighborhood

Snow drifted down the street as a car drove by, blowing it through the air. It was early December, and New York City was covered in snow. The car stopped outside an abandoned store, and suddenly the street was silent again, except for the sound of birds calling.

Frank Iero parked his car on the street and got out, fishing his keys out of his coat pocket. He had finally managed to buy the shop he had always dreamed of having. It was a former bookshop in Greenwich Village, which had been forced to close down after it was raided by police.

Frank had heard that the former owners were arrested for drug charges, and that may have been true, but he also knew that the area was inhabited by the local queer community - which was why Frank had chosen it. He was gay, and he knew that even if he got outed to anyone else in the city, the people around him would stick with him.

He locked his car and went over to the door, looking around. There was a comic shop across the street, and a coffee shop next door to his shop. That would be nice, as long as it wasn't too expensive. There was also a bar next to the comic shop, and while it wasn't the place where the Stonewall Riots took place, it seemed to be popular - although that may have been due to the fact that it doubled as a restaurant.

Frank watched a lesbian couple walk past and smiled at them before going into the shop. He set the box of cleaning supplies down and picked up a feather duster, sweeping off the dusty shelves. He wanted everything to be perfect for the opening day that weekend. After a couple hours of cleaning, everything in the shop was dust-free. The wooden shelves were gleaming, and the counter was sparkling.

Frank smiled at the shop proudly and left, headed to the coffee shop next door. A bell rang as he pushed the door open, and he jumped in surprise.

"Hi, welcome to the Roast. How can I help ya?" a girl with long dark hair that was separated into pigtails asked from behind the counter.

Frank went over and sat on a barstool, glancing at the girl's name tag, which read Lindsey B.

"Can I get a black coffee with three sugars?" Frank asked, looking around the coffee shop. It was nice, he thought. There were plenty of people inside, and the baristas were pretty - for girls, Frank thought. He noticed a couple huddled together in a booth and smiled softly. Maybe if he ever got a boyfriend, he would bring him here.

Lindsey brewed his coffee and added the sugars before sliding it across the counter to him. Frank handed her five dollars in return, told her that the extra three was for her tip, and began to sip his coffee.

"So, you new 'round here?" Lindsey asked, leaning against the counter. Nobody else had come into the shop after Frank, so she could talk to the new customer.

"Yeah, I just moved here from Jersey. I'm opening up a record shop next door," Frank said.

Lindsey nodded, her pigtails bouncing. "What kinda music?" the barista asked.

"Rock, mostly. I ordered some Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Van Halen... Y'know, bands like that."

"You have good taste," Lindsey replied, smiling at him. Another customer came up to the counter and she went off to help them. 

Frank smiled and took another sip of coffee as the door opened, revealing a large man with shoulder-length brown hair. He wore a plain black T-shirt and blue jeans, along with a green jacket.

"Hey, Gee," Lindsey said. The man waved at her.

"Hey, Linds. Just get me the usual," the man replied. One of the men from the couple in the corner stood up and went over to him, hugging him.

"Hey, Mikey, I didn't see you come in," Lindsey said, smiling at both of them. Mikey nodded and went back over to his boyfriend.

Frank took a drink of coffee and watched as the man took a seat at a barstool near him.

"Hey, Gee, you met Frank here?" Lindsey asked as she prepared the other man's coffee.

"No, I haven't," Gerard said. He smiled at Frank, even though he had a curious expression in his eyes.

"Well, I did just arrive yesterday, and I didn't really get the chance to meet anyone yet." Frank interjected. He leaned over and held his hand out to Gerard. "Frank Iero. Nice to meet you." The other man shook his hand, and they shared a smile.

"He owns the record store that's openin' up 'cross from your place, Gee," Lindsey said as she set his coffee down in front of him.

Gerard thanked her and began to drink his coffee, seemingly unaware that Frank was watching him. "I own Astro Comics, you must've seen it. It's across the street from your shop," Gerard said.

"Oh, yeah, I did. It looks nice." Frank nodded and finished his coffee. "Well, it was nice meeting you both. I'll see you around." He pushed the coffee cup across the counter to Lindsey and hopped off his stool, heading towards the door.

Frank went back to his shop and noticed that a truck was parked in front of it. A smile appeared on his face when he saw the truck - all the records that he had bought had arrived. It had taken him every last penny that he hadn't spent on the shop itself. He went over and helped the driver unload the boxes of records and cassette tapes.

Once the driver had left, Frank got back to work, stacking the shelves full of music. He opened up a box of Pink Floyd records and took one out, going over and putting it on his Victrola. He set the needle and listened as he unloaded the boxes, humming along to himself.


	2. Opening Day

Frank's alarm clock went off and he sat up, looking around and blinking the sleep from his eyes. It took him a second, but he remembered where he was - in his apartment above the shop. He crawled out of bed and stretched before going to put a pot of coffee on, humming to himself. He had finished shelving all of the records and tapes yesterday, and had decided to stay in that night and eat the food he had brought with him.

Frank cooked up two eggs and smothered them with cheese before settling down to eat, hoping that he would be able to get the shop up and running that day. He heard a bark and smiled as Sweet Pea came running into the kitchen.

"Hey, girl! Want a treat?" He pulled a bone out of the container he had set on the counter and tossed it to her. It hit her in the face, causing the little dog to whimper.

Frank knelt down beside her and petted her gently. "It's okay, girl, you're okay."

He kissed her forehead and went to eat his breakfast, watching as she gnawed on the bone. He heard a knock at the door downstairs and went down, not thinking about the fact that his hair was uncombed and his feet were bare. He saw Gerard at the door, holding two cups of what appeared to be coffee, and smiled. 

Frank opened the door and went outside. "Hey! Gerard, right?" Frank asked.

"Yeah!" the other man replied. "Oh, Lindsey told me to give you this," Gerard said, handing him one of the cups. "It's black with three sugars, like she said you had yesterday. And it's on the house."

Frank took a sip and sighed happily. "Uh, would you like to come in?" he asked, backing into the shop and holding the door open for Gerard.

Gerard went into the shop and looked around. "You sell records?"

"And cassette tapes," Frank said, taking another long drink of coffee.

"Nice!" Gerard said, looking around. He took a drink of coffee and went over to a stack of Aerosmith records.

"What kind of music do you like?" Frank asked, watching Gerard.

"Oh, uh... I don't know much about music," the other man replied, looking ashamed.

Frank nodded slowly and looked up as a small group of teenagers entered the shop. He quickly went behind the counter. "Welcome to Frank's Records, let me know if you've got any questions," Frank said.

One of the girls nodded at him and they began to look around the shop.

Gerard came over to the counter. "I've got to get going, I'll see you around though?" he said.

Frank nodded quickly and smiled. "Yeah, see you around. And thanks for the coffee!"

Gerard smiled back and left the shop, heading across the street quickly, heading into his own shop.

Frank watched him go and sighed softly. He really liked Gerard already, but he had seen the way that Lindsey and Gerard had looked at each other before, and assumed that the two of them were together.

The teenagers came over to purchase the records they'd chosen, and Frank snapped out of his thoughts about Gerard. He rang up the records and smiled at the teenagers. "You tell my friends about my place, yeah?" he said.

"O'course! This place is awesome," one of the boys said. He grabbed the stack of records and led his friends out.

Frank waited until they were out of sight before sneaking upstairs to check on Sweet Pea. He found her laying in her bed and gave her a few pets. She whined happily and watched as he changed out her water and refilled her food.

"You're a good girl, Pea," he said, sitting down beside her. He kissed her head and went back downstairs, waiting for more customers.

Several hours passed, and Frank only had a few customers - his shop was brand new, and he didn't expect anyone to know about it it yet, so that was okay. 6:00 finally came, and Frank closed up the shop for the night before heading to the coffee shop, secretly hoping that Gerard would be there. He went inside and glanced over at Lindsey, a smile appearing on his face. She returned it before going back to work.

He sat on the barstool and waited for her to finish washing dishes. The bell on the door rang and Frank turned to see Gerard come in. A smile appeared on his face as the other man sat beside him.

"Come here often?" Gerard said in a joking tone.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Frank replied. He waved at Lindsey as she came over, holding their drinks.

"Thanks, Linds." Gerard said. He leaned across the counter and kissed her cheek.

"Are you two a thing?" Frank asked, suddenly feeling jealous. Lindsey and Gerard both shook their heads quickly.

"We had a fling once, a couple months ago, and now Lindsey's gonna have my kid... But other than that, no." Gerard said.

Frank's eyes widened at that, and he stared at Lindsey. He hadn't expected to hear that. "So, you guys are bisexual?"

"Nah, honey, I'm a lesbian, and Gerard's gay. We just wanted to know what it would be like, and then things went further than we expected."

Frank nodded and sipped his coffee. "Well, congrats on the baby."

Gerard smiled at him. "Thanks, Frankie." 

Frank's face turned bright red at the use of his nickname, and he choked on his coffee, causing Lindsey to giggle at him. He gulped down the rest of the coffee, paid, and headed for the door, feeling embarrassed.

"Frank, wait," Gerard said, going after him. Frank turned and looked back at Gerard. "Uh, I was wondering if you'd wanna get dinner sometime?" Gerard asked.

"Sure," Frank said. "I'm free every day after six."

Gerard nodded slowly. "I'll see you next weekend, then... If Saturday's alright?"

Frank nodded and left the shop, a wide smile on his face.


	3. An Unplanned Walk

Frank went back into the record shop and let the door swing shut, not bothering to lock it. He had to take Sweet Pea out for a walk before they went to bed, and he didn't see a point in locking it if he was inside. 

He headed up the stairs to where Sweet Pea was waiting and smiled as she jumped up around his legs, barking happily. "Did you miss me, girl?" he asked, petting her head with a smile.

Sweet Pea barked at him again and ran in a circle. Frank went over to the key rack and picked up her leash. "Who wants to go for a walk, huh?" He clipped the leash to her collar and headed outside again.

Frank walked past the coffee shop just as Gerard came outside, and he smiled at the older man.

"Nice to see you again, Frank," Gerard said. Sweet Pea yapped at him, causing Gerard to smile.

"Well, who's this?"

"That's my dog, Sweet Pea. I've had her since I was a teenager, and she's a sweetheart." 

Gerard knelt down beside the small dog and petted her gently. Sweet Pea licked his hand and barked, pleased to be getting attention. "Where are you headed?" Gerard asked, looking up at Frank. 

"I didn't really have a destination in mind. We were just going to walk around for a few minutes before heading back inside."

"I could show you around the neighborhood a bit, if you want," Gerard said.

"I'd love that!" Frank responded. Sweet Pea barked again as Gerard stood up and took Frank's hand gently.

"There's a park near here that I really enjoy. It's not very big, but it's nice to come to."

Frank listened to him and nodded slowly, looking at Gerard. Behind him, he heard a door close and lock, and assumed that Lindsey had just closed up the coffee shop for the night.

"Why did you decide to move here?" Gerard asked. 

"Well, I'm gay, for starters, and this seemed like a safe place to live because I know I won't get judged for my choices here."

Gerard looked at him and nodded slowly, the soft smile appearing on the older man's face making Frank blush lightly.

"And I thought it would be a good place for a music shop. I'm not sure why exactly, but this place just felt right." Frank smiled softly and looked up at Gerard. "What about you?"

"Well, I had just been kicked out by my parents because they found out that I was interested in men. My brother Mikey was already living in the Village, so I moved in with him. And then two years ago I finally figured out what I wanted to do, and I opened up the comic shop."

Frank listened to everything Gerard said carefully. "I'm sorry that they kicked you out," he said, giving Gerard's hand a small squeeze.

"It's alright, I'm glad I'm where I am now... I'm safe here, and so are Mikey and his boyfriend Pete, and that's all I could really ask for."

Frank nodded slowly and looked up as the streetlights turned on. Sweet Pea had already done her business, and they hadn't even made it to the park. "I should head back home. It was nice talking to you," Frank said.

He let go of Gerard's hand and headed back to the shop. Once he was inside, he let Sweet Pea off of her leash and picked her up gently, carrying her up the stairs to his apartment. He refilled her bowls before flopping down on the couch with a happy sigh, thinking about Gerard.

He really liked the other man, and he wanted to spend a lot more time with him, but he didn't know how, or even if Gerard would ever like him like that. He went to make himself some dinner and then flopped on the couch.

He could see the light on in Gerard's apartment across the street, and he watched as the other man sat on the couch in front of the TV, a cat curled up in his lap.

Frank smiled softly and turned away, turning his own TV on as he began to eat. Once he was done, he shut off the TV and headed back to the kitchen to clean everything up.

He let out a soft sigh when he heard a knock on the door to the shop. He turned off the light in the living room and headed downstairs to see what was going on.

Frank opened up the door and frowned when he saw a man who resembled Gerard standing outside, hand-in-hand with a shorter man with shaggy black hair. "Sorry sir, the shop is closed now. It closes at 6:00 every night."

"That's not why I'm here. I'm here to tell you to be kind to Gerard, because if you aren't, we'll find out and you'll pay. Gerard has been through a lot, and I don't want to see him get hurt again." Mikey said, an angry expression on his face.

Frank took a step back. "I don't have any intention of hurting him, don't worry. I like him."

Mikey frowned at him. "You're Frank, right?" Frank nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'm not gonna do anything to you, I'm just warning you about what happens to people who try to hurt my big brother."

Frank blinked in surprise, looking up at the taller man. "You must be Mikey. He told me about you earlier."

Mikey nodded and waved at the man beside him. "Yeah, I'm Mikey, and this is my boyfriend, Pete," he said. Frank smiled softly and nodded, relaxing a bit.

Pete tugged on Mikey's hand gently, looking slightly embarassed. "Well, I'll see you around, Frank. Just remember my warning." Mikey let Pete pull him away.

Frank nodded and watched them go, locking up the shop after they left. He went back upstairs and got ready for bed, quickly falling asleep.


	4. Sick Day

Frank woke up the next morning, feeling terrible. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Sweet Pea hopped off of the bed and ran to get her breakfast.

Frank followed her quickly and caught a glimpse of himself in his bedroom mirror as he passed it. His eyes were red and bloodshot, and his nose was almost as red as Rudolph's. He sighed heavily and went into the bathroom, digging through the cabinet to try and find cold medicine.

Frank let out a heavy sigh when he couldn't find any and got dressed, heading out to the corner store at the end of the road. He passed Gerard as the other man came out of the coffee shop and covered his face, not wanting to get him sick as well.

Gerard looked at him oddly, and Frank walked faster. He eventually made it to the corner store and grabbed a bottle of medicine. The door opened just as Frank was walking towards it, and he ran headfirst into Gerard's chest.

"Oh, fuck," he mumbled, dropping the bottle of medicine. It hit the ground and shattered open. Frank backed up and looked over at the cashier. "I'm sorry, I'll pay for it." 

"Frank, are you okay?" Gerard asked, looking deeply concerned now.

"I'm fine, jus' gotta cold," he mumbled. The cashier handed him a new bottle of medicine, and he tucked it in his pocket before moving away so that she could clean up the mess.

"I'm sorry," Frank muttered. The cashier nodded at him and he left the store, planning to head straight back to the shop. He knew he needed to keep everything closed for the day and just rest.

He heard footsteps behind him and sighed heavily. "Ge'a'hd, I'm sick, you shouldn't be nea' me right now."

"I wanna help... Maybe I can get you soup or something."

Frank sighed and kept walking back to the shop. "No, Gee, I don't need help... Jus' need you to stay away." He went into the shop and closed the door.

Gerard looked at him for a second before crossing the street to his own shop.

Frank sighed softly and went back up to his apartment. He took the bottle of medicine out of the bag and took a swig before setting the bottle in the medicine cabinet.

He made sure that Sweet Pea had water and food and went back to bed, thinking about Gerard. He fell asleep after a few minutes and woke up in the evening, suddenly remembering that he and Gerard were supposed to go out for dinner that night.

Frank sighed and sat up, looking across the street. All the lights in the comic shop were off. He went over to the window and frowned when he saw how dark it was. This stupid cold had ruined their night, and now Gerard was probably mad at him.

Frank let out a heavy sigh and went to check on Sweet Pea. There was another knock at the door downstairs, and he sighed again. Why didn't people seem to understand that his shop had open hours?

Frank put on a pair of shoes and headed down to see who was outside. He froze when he saw Gerard on the other side of the doors, holding a bouquet of flowers and dressed in slightly nicer clothes.

Frank went over and opened the door, feeling floored by the sight in front of him. "Hey, Gerard," he said softly, extremely aware of the fact that he was still in his pajamas.

"Uh, hey, Frank... I know you're sick and all, but I was wondering if you just wanted to hang out and watch a movie at my place?"

Frank hesitated, looking down at his clothes with a sad expression. "Uh, I... I never got dressed, Gerard. I didn't even open up the shop today."

"You can come as you are!" Gerard said.

"Are you sure?" Frank asked, feeling awkward now. Gerard looked nice, and Frank didn't want to be undressed.

"Yup, let's go," Gerard said. He reached out and took Frank's hand after setting the flowers down on a shelf.

Frank followed the other man across the street and into his shop, feeling confused and slightly alarmed.

"Uh, I hope you like superhero movies. That's all I have," Gerard said.

"I do, don't worry," Frank said. He chuckled as Gerard led him up the stairs to his apartment. He heard a meow and looked around in curiosity.

"Oh, that's just my cat, Lotion," Gerard said, watching him.

"You named your cat Lotion?" Frank asked, looking at Gerard with a confused expression. "Why? That's a weird name for a cat."

Gerard shrugged and put a tape in the VHS player. "When I got him as a kitten, he knocked over a container of lotion and made a huge mess, so I named him Lotion. Lindsey owns his brother, Mitch," Gerard added, crouching down in front of the VHS player and fiddling with the buttons.

Frank laughed softly at the thought and sat down on the couch, watching as Gerard rewound the movie.

Once everything was ready, Gerard sat down on the couch beside Frank. The shorter man hummed and focused on the movie playing in front of them.

At some point, he felt Gerard put his arm around him, and leaned into the other man's touch instinctively, keeping his eyes locked on the TV.

The movie ended after an hour or so, and Frank looked up at Gerard, sniffling softly. "I should head back home, my cold is acting up again," he said softly.

Gerard nodded and stood up, prompting Frank to stand as well. "I'll see you around, then," Gerard said.

Frank nodded and left the apartment quickly, hoping that he hadn't gotten the other man sick in the process. He went into the record shop and got ready for bed as fast as he could, quickly falling asleep after that.

Sweet Pea curled up at the end of his bed and watched her master sleep until she drifted off as well.


	5. Miss Nestor

Frank finished brewing his morning coffee and poured out a cup, adding sugar. He sipped it happily as he headed down the stairs to open the shop up for the day.

It had been a week since he'd seen Gerard last, and he was beginning to feel lonely. A few minutes later, as he was adjusting a stack of Queen records to sit on the shelf neatly, the door opened.

Frank looked up to see an attractive woman walk into the shop, holding a takeout cup from the Roast.

"Hi, welcome to Frank's Records," he said with a smile. "I'm Frank. Lemme know if you need anything." The woman nodded at him and went off into the shelves.

Frank finished what he had been doing and went back behind the counter, humming to himself.

"You said that you're Frank, right? Frank what?" the woman asked as she came over to the counter. "Frank Iero. You?" he responded, smiling politely.

"Jamia Nestor. This shop is really nice, you have a good taste in music."

Frank's smile widened as it became genuine. "I'm glad you think so! What kind of music do you like?" he asked.

"A little bit of everything, but mostly rock and roll," Jamia said with a smile.

Frank looked at her and hesitated for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "Let's go upstairs. I'll close up the shop, and then we can talk about music."

Jamia smiled widely at the suggestion. "That sounds perfect!"

Frank smiled softly and went to lock up the shop before leading Jamia upstairs. He didn't notice Gerard outside, holding a cup of coffee and watching them with a sad expression.

"So, what sort of bands do you like, Miss Nestor?" Frank asked. He poured out two cups of coffee for the two of them and came over to the couch, sitting down beside her.

"Well, I like Aerosmith, and Pink Floyd... Maybe a little bit Iron Maiden or AC/DC."

Frank's smile only grew as she spoke. "You have an amazing taste in music, Miss Nestor."

She giggled at him and took a sip of her coffee. "You don't have to call me that, you know. Just call me Jamia."

"Alright, Jamia," he said, smiling softly. He sipped his coffee and asked her what had brought her to the area.

"Well, I was visiting my girlfriend in the shop next door, and she recommended your shop to me, so I thought I'd stop by and see what you had."

"And what do you think?' Frank asked. He lifted his coffee cup up as Sweet Pea jumped into his lap and curled up.

"It was amazing!" Jamia responded, bringing a smile to Frank's face. She glanced down at the dog in his lap.

"This is my puppy, Sweet Pea," Frank explained.

Jamia reached out and scratched her head gently, making Sweet Pea wag her tail.

"I think she likes you," Frank said.

Jamia smiled widely at that. "I like her, too."

Frank and Jamia glanced up at the clock on the wall simultaneously, and Jamia frowned. "I should go, I have to be at my job soon."

Frank nodded and set Sweet Pea down on the couch before standing and helping Jamia up.

"Will I see you again?" he asked.

"Definitely. My girlfriend, Lindsey, works next door," Jamia responded as she went down the stairs.

Frank smiled and followed her. He went over and unlocked the doors, holding one open so that she could go out. He glanced across the street to see Gerard quickly enter the comics shop, his shoulders slumped down.

Frank suddenly realized three things - one: that Gerard must have seen him take Jamia upstairs, two: that the other man must think that he was straight, and three: Gerard was interested in him. He took a deep breath and went back into the shop, hoping that he would get a chance to explain things to Gerard before they went on a date the next day.

6:00 p.m. finally arrived, and Frank took the money he had made upstairs, locking it away in a box. He fed Sweet Pea and quickly ate some leftovers for dinner before heading over to the comics shop. Frank opened the door and entered the shop, wincing slightly as a bell over the door rang.

"Welcome to Astro Comics, let me know if you need help finding anything," a strange voice said.

Frank looked over at the counter to see a girl with bright orange hair and a tank top with the Flash's logo on it. She wore a nametag that read "Hayley."

"Do you know where Gerard Way is?" Frank asked.

"Mister Way's out buying groceries right now, sorry." The girl smiled at him.

Frank nodded and thanked her. "Can you tell him Frank stopped by, and tell him that what he saw today didn't actually mean anything?"

The girl looked confused but nodded slowly.

"Thanks again," Frank said as he left the shop, hoping that Gerard wasn't angry with him. He went over to the Roast instead of going home, wanting to buy one of the muffins he had seen in the display case.

Lindsey glared at him as he came in. "Who gave you the right to try to take my girlfriend to bed?" she demanded, storming over to him.

Frank looked scared. "I didn't... I just invited her up for coffee, and we talked about music... Nothing happened, I swear!"

Lindsey glanced over at a table in the corner, where Gerard sat alone, looking dejected. "Gee told me that he saw you close the shop completely and take her upstairs."

Frank sighed softly. "Lindsey, I'm gay. I'm not interested in your girlfriend at all."

Gerard's head shot up at that, but neither of them noticed.

Lindsey backed off and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Frank. I didn't know, and I overreacted." She turned away, going back to work.

"It's alright," he said before leaving the shop, feeling hurt. He didn't understand why Lindsey had been so upset.


	6. First Date

Frank finished combing his hair and sprayed some of his favorite cologne onto himself, hoping that he wasn't too overdressed for the night.

Sweet Pea yapped and bounced around him excitedly, and he smiled. Gerard was just taking him to the restaurant down the road, but he was still really nervous about the date. If it was even a date, he thought to himself as he laced up his shoes.

Frank made sure that Sweet Pea had food and water before going outside, humming to himself. Gerard's car was idling by the curb, and the man himself was standing outside, clearly waiting for Frank.

Frank went over to him and smiled softly. "Are we ready to go?" he asked.

Gerard nodded and led him around to the passenger side before helping him into the car. Frank thanked him and settled in. "I changed my mind about where I wanted to go for dinner. There's a nicer restaurant in a different part of the city, and we're going to go there," Gerard said.

Frank's eyes widened at that. "Is it safe for us to go to?" he asked, suddenly feeling worried.

"I think so, and if it's not, I'll protect you."

Frank nodded and took a deep breath, settling back down in his seat.

Gerard drove them to the restaurant and parked, making sure they were close to the doors in case something happened. He went around and opened Frank's door for him, helping the shorter man out of the car.

Frank thanked him and waited for Gerard to lock the car. He glanced around nervously, hoping that nobody would attack them tonight.

Gerard took Frank's hand and led him into the restaurant quickly. A waiter appeared in front of them, prompting Frank to quickly drop Gerard's hand.

"Please follow me," the waiter said in a cold voice. He turned and began to walk toward a table, and the couple quickly followed him.

"What kind of place is this?" Frank asked. He'd never been before, and be was curious.

"It's an Italian restaurant!" Gerard said excitedly.

Frank stared at him for a moment before groaning. "Oh my God, Gerard," he said, laughing. "Did you just bring me here because I'm Italian?"

Gerard smirked at him as the waiter showed them their table.

Frank sat down and took the menus from the waiter, thanking him. He set one on the other side of the table for Gerard and began to look through his own, quickly deciding on what he wanted to eat.

"So, why did you choose a shop here in New York?" Gerard asked.

Frank looked up at him. "I know this area is safe for people like me, and I wanted safety... And a fresh start. Everyone back home knows me as... uh..." he trailed off, looking away nervously.

"It's okay, you can tell me," Gerard said, smiling at him.

"...Miranda," Frank whispered, looking down at his lap.

Gerard inhaled sharply, and Frank looked up at him. "Why didn't you tell me that you were a girl?" Gerard demanded.

Frank looked away again, feeling hurt. "Because I'm not a girl. I'm just as much of a man as you are," he said, frowning.

Gerard took a deep breath and pulled his hand away from Frank's. "Fine. You're a man. But not the kind of man that I'm interested in," Gerard said.

Frank felt his eyes flood with tears, and he grabbed Gerard's hand again as the other man stood up. "This doesn't have to change anything. We don't have to do... that. Not if you don't want to."

Gerard looked at him for a long moment before sitting down again. The waiter arrived and poured their wine, and Gerard began to gulp his down as Frank ordered their food. The dinner finished faster than Frank had expected, and ended up going better as well.

He and Gerard were both stumbling into each other as they left the restaurant, giggling like little kids. Somehow they ended up safe at Gerard's shop, and were falling into his bed.

"Frankie," Gerard murmured, and that was the last thing that Frank remembered of that night.

Frank woke up the next morning to see a glass of water sitting on the nightstand, along with a note from Gerard. He read it quickly and relaxed, sipping the water with his eyes closed. Hopefully he wouldn't end up pregnant from this, he thought to himself.

Gerard came upstairs a few hours later to find Frank asleep in his bed again, and frowned. He wasn't sure how to feel about Frank's confession, and he knew that they had been intimate last night - or at least Gerard had been.

They had both been drunk, but Frank seemed out of it. He had been awake, though - he had kept telling Gerard to go harder on him. He sighed heavily and ran his hands through the younger man's hair, thinking. He wasn't ready to be a father, but he knew that there was a chance that he would have to get over that.

Frank blinked and sat up, looking at Gerard with a small smile. "How long was I asleep?" he asked, stretching.

"A long time... It's noon now," Gerard said.

They both looked out of the window to see a small group of teenagers clustered around the door to Frank's shop, and sighed in unison.

"Can you go tell them that I'm not feeling well, and that the shop is closed today?" Frank asked, looking up at Gerard with a pleading expression.

Gerard giggled at him and kissed his nose gently. "Of course, as long as you agree to stay for dinner again tonight."

Frank nodded quickly, and handed Gerard his keys. The older man quickly left the apartment and headed across the street, sending the teenagers away.

Frank watched with a small smile as Sweet Pea ran down the stairs and began to jump around Gerard. She led him upstairs, and Frank laid back in the bed, sighing happily.


End file.
